Not known to be a barbecue joint, but they've added a couple of things to their menu that are really good.
Jack Daniels Pork - good sized pork shank done in a new slightly spicier Jack Daniels sauce. Did not taste any smoke and did not see a smoke ring, but this was definitely a well roasted piece of meat.
Jack Daniels Brisket - this was definitely barbecued. Nice slices of beef brisket. Nice smoke ring and barbecue flavor. Served with the same new spicier Jack Daniels sauce. This is the best brisket I have eaten since the last time I was able to do a barbecue tour of the Texas Hill Country.

Jack Daniels Brisket - this was definitely barbecued. Nice slices of beef brisket. Nice smoke ring and barbecue flavor. Served with the same new spicier Jack Daniels sauce. This is the best brisket I have eaten since the last time I was able to do a barbecue tour of the Texas Hill Country.

No way this is barbequed. If anything, it's oven roasted in a pan with some liquid smoke. The JD sauce may also have some liquid smoke in it. BBQ is way too expensive (manpower wise) for a chain to do as they focus on profit.

Nearly everyplace that has "BBQ" section of the menu that doesn't have a smoker does it as I described. Some places have the meat come in already cooked. They just put it on the grill (or, gasp!, steam table) to heat it up and then slather sauce on it.

Jack Daniels Brisket - this was definitely barbecued. Nice slices of beef brisket. Nice smoke ring and barbecue flavor. Served with the same new spicier Jack Daniels sauce. This is the best brisket I have eaten since the last time I was able to do a barbecue tour of the Texas Hill Country.

No way this is barbequed. If anything, it's oven roasted in a pan with some liquid smoke. The JD sauce may also have some liquid smoke in it. BBQ is way too expensive (manpower wise) for a chain to do as they focus on profit.

Nearly everyplace that has "BBQ" section of the menu that doesn't have a smoker does it as I described. Some places have the meat come in already cooked. They just put it on the grill (or, gasp!, steam table) to heat it up and then slather sauce on it.

I may eat there every now and then, but I certainly don't consider TGI Fridays a barbeque joint. I haven't ever seen any hickory wood stacked up out back of any one of their restaurants. Seems to me, you can't get a smoke ring, without some wood to smoke.

I originally stated that they are not known to be a BBQ joint - The brisket was definitely good and definitely had a smoke ring - I do not know how they prepared it. It is no longer on their menu and has not been for several months.
Was there tonight for dinner - a lot of the Jack Daniels stuff is still on the menu but a lot of the menu has changed - waitress said that she's been there for 4 months and it is the 3rd menu change she has seen.

I found this recipe for the Grill Glaze in an online cookbook someone emailed me. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to since I really like the Jack daniels' glaze, especially on pork chops, which they took off of the menu a few years ago.

T.G.I. Friday's Jack Daniels Grill Glaze
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup water
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons minced white onion
1 tablespoon Jack Daniels Whiskey
1 tablespoon crushed pineapple
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cut about 1/2−inch off of top of garlic. Cut the roots so that the
garlic will sit flat. Remove the papery skin from the garlic, but
leave enough so that the cloves stay together. Put garlic into a
small casserole dish or baking pan, drizzle olive oil over it, and
cover with a lid or foil. Bake in a preheated 325° oven for 1 hour.
Remove garlic and let it cool until you can handle it.
Combine water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and
brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat.
Stir occasionally until mixture boils then reduce heat until mixture
is just simmering.
Squeeze the sides of the head of garlic until the pasty roasted garlic
is squeezed out. Discard remaining skin and whisk to combine.
Add remaining ingredients to the pan and stir.
Let mixture simmer for 40−50 minutes or until sauce has reduced by
about 1/2 and is thick and syrupy. Make sure it doesn't boil over.

The one on the East side of Madison is well staffed and food is good for the most part as far as bar food goes. We tend to go during Happy hour or on Tuesday when they have $5 hamburgers and Long Island ice tea specials also two for one appetizers (happy hour).